Big Art Show

Paisley's annual open-entry Big Art Show returns with over 1000 works in painting, sculpture, textiles, ceramics and more, plus a Featured Artists programme.

The Art Department, Paisley hosts the Big Art Show, one of the largest open-entry visual art exhibitions in the UK, running from 29 August to 14 November 2026. This year's exhibition features over 1000 works across mediums including painting, drawing, textiles, sculpture, ceramics, photography and mixed media. Six featured artists — Ellie Muir, Jamie Munro, Mark T. Shepheard, Matthew Smith, Maree Hughes and Vertigo Artography — each show up to 12 artworks. The exhibition is free to visit, open Monday to Saturday 10am–4pm, and the charity has received a £75,000 funding award from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.